Enrollment
701
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Indian Head, MD
Matthew Henson Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Matthew Henson Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240027000599
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Matthew Henson Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Maryland schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Indian Head · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 35.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Matthew Henson Middle School has class sizes larger than 78% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Matthew Henson Middle School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Indian Head, MD.
School address
District: Charles County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240027000599 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.4%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Matthew Henson Middle School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Matthew Henson Middle School
Matthew Henson Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Indian Head, Maryland, enrolling 701 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 701 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 260 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #84.
Its student body is led by African American (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 234 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Indian Head's middle schools, it stands alongside General Smallwood Middle School (500 students): Matthew Henson Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.7:1 vs 13.5:1).
Charles County Public Schools also operates North Point High School (1,960 students) and St. Charles High School (1,617 students) alongside Matthew Henson Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Matthew Henson Middle School compares
Matthew Henson Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▲ 15% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.4% | ▼ 28% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 701 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
701
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in Maryland - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,671
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 234 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 84 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 62.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
White 11.6%
Two or More 8.7%
Asian 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 62.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.4, Matthew Henson Middle School is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charles County Public Schools, which includes Matthew Henson Middle School.
$16,671
Per student
-18%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.0%
State 44.3%
Federal 10.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Matthew Henson Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Point High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| St. Charles High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Stone High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Plata High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westlake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Matthew Henson Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,617
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,230
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,217
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,216
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar middle schools in Indian Head
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~701 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Matthew Henson Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Matthew Henson Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Charles County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Matthew Henson Middle School
How many students attend Matthew Henson Middle School?
Matthew Henson Middle School has 701 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Indian Head, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Matthew Henson Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Matthew Henson Middle School is 16.7:1, which is 15% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Matthew Henson Middle School?
35.4% of students at Matthew Henson Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Matthew Henson Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Matthew Henson Middle School is African American at 62.8% of enrollment, in Indian Head, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Matthew Henson Middle School?
Matthew Henson Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Matthew Henson Middle School rank among public schools in Indian Head?
By Resource Investment Index, Matthew Henson Middle School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Indian Head, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Indian Head on the city page.
Is Matthew Henson Middle School a good school?
Matthew Henson Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Maryland schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Charles County Public Schools?
Besides Matthew Henson Middle School, Charles County Public Schools also operates North Point High School (1,960 students), St. Charles High School (1,617 students), and Thomas Stone High School (1,230 students). See the Charles County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.